Archive By Author - Gary Phillips

Candidates running for two seats on Kershaw County Council fielded questions Thursday in the second of three "educated voter forums" presented by the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce and the Kershaw County Teacher Forum at Camden High School.

I often offer up in my weekly column my thoughts and opinions on a variety of topics related to entertainment and pop culture. Those are things I'm personally interested in and know quite a bit about, at least in my own mind.

Kershaw County Probate Judge Harriett Pierce said it currently is illegal to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples in South Carolina and, therefore, she is bound to follow the law. Marriage licenses are obtained from each county's probate judge.

Hundreds of Kershaw County residents and visitors converged on the parking area at Lugoff-Elgin High School on Saturday for the Lugoff Fire-Rescue (LF-R) Fire Prevention Expo. The LF-R presented and hosted the event, but several other agencies participated, including the Doby's Mill, Blaney and Pine Grove fire departments; the South Carolina Forestry Commission; LifeNet Medical Helicopter; Kershaw Health EMS; LifeLine Ambulance; Camden Fire Department Safety House; Lugoff CERT Team; and the PAL 800 Radio System.

The Kershaw County Firearms Discharge Advisory Committee reported making progress by virtue of identifying a particular problem area in one of the unincorporated areas of the county. Kershaw County Councilman Sammie Tucker Jr. formed the committee in July after council dropped a proposed ordinance to regulate firearms. The committee's goal is to write a new draft ordinance that would honor the rights of gun owners while protecting public safety. Tucker said he hoped the committee would draft such an ordinance by Nov. 15.

If you read my column very often, you surely know what a fan I am of "The Andy Griffith Show." My 33-year-old son, Bill, who lives in Sanford, N.C., also knows it well. After all, he grew up with it, even though it went off the air 12 years before he was born. Thank God for the video cassette recorder, then the digital video disc player and the TV Land cable channel.

With the Nov. 4 election barely a month away, the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce is hosting a series of three Educated Voter Forums this month, with different forums focusing on particular political races in Kershaw County.

Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) deputies arrested two men Sept. 24 -- one from Camden and the other from Cassatt -- on drug charges when the KCSO's narcotics and special response teams served a search warrant at a Cassatt home.

A 51-year-old Columbia man is out on bail after turning himself in to Kershaw County authorities Monday on charges he had sexual relations with a 15-year-old girl in Lugoff. A Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) press release said deputies charged Anthony Alan Corley with second degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor.

I really like Camden and Kershaw County. In the nine months I've lived and worked here I've met some wonderful friends, acquaintances, news sources and coworkers. Those who have lived here all their lives may not realize what a jewel they have here. I have lived and worked in several places over the years and I know the difference.

The Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) arrested a Camden man Tuesday after he turned himself in to deputies. Anthony Lorenzo Jackson, 24, faces charges of failure to stop for a blue light, possession of a stolen pistol, driving under the influence and driving under suspension.

The "Community Playground Project" continues raising funds to build a state-of-the-art playground in the West Wateree area and has received 10 percent of the money needed for the project. That was the report given to the Kershaw County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors at its Sept. 18 meeting. Playground Steering Committee Chairperson Laurey Carpenter gave the presentation.

Articles By Author - Gary Phillips

A Camden man is behind bars, charged with two counts of attempted murder, three counts of pointing and presenting a firearm and one count of breach of trust. Timmy Deandre Bennett, 21, of Knights Hill Road, Camden, turned himself in to the Camden Police Department (CPD) on Wednesday.

One of my weekly duties here at the Chronicle-Independent is to visit the Walter M. Crower Animal Shelter in Camden and take photos of pets available for adoption to be printed in our Friday edition each week. Actually, I take photos of two cats and two dogs and half of those are published weekly in the West Wateree Chronicle.

Four Kershaw County retailers received citations for selling alcohol to underage buyers Tuesday evening. According to a press release, the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) conducted undercover operations in which underage individuals supervised by the KCSO attempted to purchase alcoholic beverages from 46 locations where alcohol can be lawfully sold.

Kershaw County Council took its first steps Tuesday to formally accept a proposal for the county to take over emergency management services (EMS) from KershawHealth, effective July 1. Council voted 5-1 on Feb. 10 to accept an offer from KershawHealth of $2.636 million in exchange for the county giving up the property where KershawHealth sits. Councilman Sammie Tucker Jr. cast the only no vote, saying he felt transferring the property to KershawHealth would take away any "say so" the county has regarding the hospital. Councilman Willie Mickle was absent from that meeting.

Keeping Kershaw County's schools safe and drug free are top priorities for the Kershaw County Sheriff's Office (KCSO) and the Kershaw County School District (KCSD). As part of that mission, Elsa, a German shepherd is being trained to sniff out illegal drugs with her primary assignment working in schools.